Political scientist: Offshore scandal will affect on results of the Dutch referendum

Date of publication: 05 04 2016, 14:37

German political scientist Andreas Umland is sure that the publishing of information on the President Poroshenko’s establishment of the companies in Panama, the Netherlands and Cyprus in 2014 will significantly hurt the chances that the Dutch would support the ratification of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union on April 6.

According to him, the announcement of information on the head of the state’s disinvestment into the offshore areas has strengthened opponents’ position of rapprochement of Kiev and Brussels on the eve of the vote in the Netherlands.

“I think, it is a problem that the name of Poroshenko has appeared there. The key problem is the fact that Panama – is a problematic country. And this kind of transfer of some stocks and some companies abroad could be done in a more prestigious places: to the United Kingdom, Switzerland, the European Union. The fact that those firms were registered in Panama and even in some offshores looks a little strange”, Umland said.

The expert noted that the scandal with offshore operations took place in the worst possible moment for Ukraine – two days before the referendum, and the situation is not in the favor of Kiev.

The cover page of today’s NRC.next newspaper: “Panama papers + Poroshenko = No to April 6?” And this is the cover page of the newspaper, which has done a lot for the campaign “for” and was constantly publishing articles of the Ukrainian MPs.

On April 6, in the Netherlands will be held a referendum on the ratification of the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union. According to recent polls, 62% of the kingdom’s subjects oppose to “the European Union has made Ukraine a privileged partner in the field of trade and security.”